Dad gets prison in Hartford house fire that badly burned daughter, 7

Monday

Sep 11, 2017 at 9:28 AMSep 11, 2017 at 9:28 AM

The Associated Press

HARTFORD — A Connecticut man who authorities say improperly discarded a cigarette that sparked a house fire that severely burned his 7-year-old daughter in 2015 is headed to prison. The Hartford Courant reports that Wallace Barton III was sentenced Friday to 10 years behind bars after pleading guilty to felony risk of injury to a minor and two misdemeanor counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.Authorities say Barton told police he had smoked several cigarettes, injected heroin into his hand and went to bed before the fire. An arrest warrant says he later woke up to the smell of smoke.The girl suffered extensive burns, lost four fingers on her right hand and was hospitalized for 16 months.Barton's attorney says he's still trying to understand how the fire started, but accepts responsibility.

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